Item - 2020.SC18.1

The Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning gave a presentation on the Golden Mile Secondary Plan.

Scarborough Community Council recommends that:

1. City Council adopt Official Plan Amendment No. 499 substantially in accordance with Attachment No. 1 to the Supplementary Report (September 29, 2020) from the Director, Community Planning, Scarborough District.

2. City Council authorize that development may proceed by site-specific zoning by-law amendments that conform to the Golden Mile Secondary Plan, and request the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to bring forward a Zoning By-law Amendment, as may be necessary, for the Golden Mile Secondary Plan area to comply with Official Plan Amendment No. 499 when the Amendment is in full force and effect.

3. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, and the General Manager, Transportation Services, to initiate a Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Study for the Golden Mile area, which will include options for potential modifications to Bartley Avenue/O'Connor Drive and consider comments received from area landowners.

4. City Council direct the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, the General Manager, Transportation Services, and the Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Transit Commission to study transit priority transit measures or higher order transit measures on Victoria Park Avenue and Warden Avenue.

5. City Council adopt the Golden Mile Urban Design Guidelines substantially in accordance with Attachment No. 2 to the Supplementary Report (September 29, 2020) from the Director, Community Planning, Scarborough District and authorize the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to make any minor, technical or stylistic amendments/modifications as required to align with the Golden Mile Secondary Plan. 

6. City Council direct staff to use the Golden Mile Secondary Plan and Golden Mile Urban Design Guidelines in the evaluation of all current and new development proposals within its boundaries.

7. City Council receive the Infrastructure Identification Assessment in Attachment No. 7 of this report, and direct the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning, in consultation with appropriate agencies, boards, and divisions, to develop a Financial Strategy and Impact Analysis to support a coordinated approach to managing and promoting growth in the Secondary Plan that is integrated with long term infrastructure and financial planning and that considers the matters identified in the Infrastructure Identification Assessment for the Golden Mile Secondary Plan area, including the costs, potential funding and financing options and the financial impacts.

8. City Council authorizes the City Solicitor to make such stylistic and technical changes to Official Plan Amendment No. 499 as may be required.

9. City Council authorize the City Solicitor and appropriate City staff to take such necessary steps, as required, to implement City Council's decision.

Scarborough Community Council directed that: 

1. The Director, Community Planning Scarborough District, revise all maps and policies in the proposed Official Plan Amendment No. 499, prior to it being presented to City Council for adoption, to delete all references to the proposed Thermos Road realignment/reconfiguration, north of Eglinton Avenue East.

Emily Caldwell, Senior Planner, Community Planning, Scarborough District, gave a presentation on the Golden Mile Secondary Plan, Final Report and Supplementary Report.

The Golden Mile Secondary Plan (“GMSP”) Study was initiated by City Planning staff in May 2016, and generally consisted of the lands located along Eglinton Avenue East, between Victoria Park Avenue and Birchmount Road.  In April 2019, City Council expanded the study area boundary from 97 to 113 hectares to include additional lands east of Victoria Park Avenue within Wards 20 and 21, as well as approximately 4.3 hectares of land on the west side of Victoria Park Avenue within Ward 16 (Attachment 1: Golden Mile Secondary Plan Study Area Boundary). 

The Golden Mile has been influenced by agricultural, industrial and commercial eras of development.  The area became known as the "Golden Mile of Industry" during the post-World War II era with the construction of large-scale manufacturing buildings along Eglinton Avenue East, between Pharmacy Avenue and Birchmount Road.  Large-scale commercial construction generally occurred during the 1990's, replacing many of the former industrial buildings that fronted onto Eglinton Avenue East.

This report recommends that City Council adopt the Golden Mile Secondary Plan (the "Secondary Plan") and associated amendments in Official Plan Amendment ("OPA") No. 499. The Secondary Plan establishes a comprehensive planning framework for future development in the Secondary Plan Area (the "Plan Area") that sets out the long-term vision for a complete, liveable, connected, responsive, and prosperous mixed-use community.  The Secondary Plan directs anticipated growth to appropriate locations, identifies public realm and built form directions, and identifies and plans for community services and facilities necessary to meet the existing and future needs of the Plan Area. OPA No. 499 identifies a number of structuring elements through the re-designation of certain lands as Parks, and the identification of new public streets and widened/reconfigured existing public streets. These improvements are necessary structuring elements of the Plan Area and  will facilitate the creation of a complete community and allow for an appropriate level of intensification within the Plan Area.

The Secondary Plan facilitates the transformation of the Golden Mile, while maintaining its role as an important economic driver within the east end of Toronto and is envisioned as both a destination and a place for residents, workers, and visitors to live, work, shop, and play.

The Secondary Plan advances a vision for a new mixed-use community that has the potential to accommodate approximately 24,000 residential units, 43,000 residents and 19,000 jobs over the next 20+ years, in a mix of tall, mid and low-rise buildings ranging in height from 4 to 35 storeys (Attachment 5: Draft Official Plan Amendment No. 499, Golden Mile Secondary Plan). 

The Secondary Plan provides an overarching framework for land use, development capacity, a new street network and a parks and open space system, within which more detailed planning can be undertaken to distribute density on sites and blocks based on the core structuring elements. Given the overall size of the Secondary Plan area (approximately 113 hectares), this approach is appropriate to respond to specific conditions of multiple character areas and districts, including the need to acknowledge existing uses and required phasing of development. The Secondary Plan provides flexibility regarding the location and timing of dedication of public streets and built form. The provision of clear and specific policy direction at the macro level, coupled with flexibility in implementation at the context plan level, will allow development to proceed in a predictable and consistent manner while ensuring area specific conditions can be addressed.

The Secondary Plan is accompanied by Urban Design Guidelines for the Plan Area, which provide more detailed guidance to assist in the review of development applications and public realm improvements, and the implementation of the Secondary Plan.

OPA No. 499, including the Secondary Plan, has regard to matters of provincial interest under Section 2 of the Planning Act, is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (2020) ("PPS (2020)"), and conforms to A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2019) ("Growth Plan (2019)"). OPA No. 499, including the Secondary Plan, is consistent with the general intent and purpose of, and conforms to, the City’s Official Plan.

At its meeting on July 17, 2020, Scarborough Community Council commenced a statutory public meeting on Official Plan Amendment No. 499 ("OPA 499"), including the Golden Mile Secondary Plan (“Secondary Plan") and associated Urban Design Guidelines for the 113-hectare Golden Mile Secondary Plan Area ("Plan Area") (Attachment 1: Golden Mile Secondary Plan Study Area Boundary to the Final Report dated July 25, 2020). 

Scarborough Community Council at that same meeting deferred consideration of the OPA 499 and the Golden Mile Secondary Plan - Final Report dated June 25, 2020, from the Director, Community Planning, Scarborough District, and directed staff to further consult with stakeholders on the final version of OPA 499 and report back to Scarborough Community Council, scheduled for October 16, 2020.

Since the Scarborough Community Council meeting on July 17, 2020, City staff have undertaken additional consultation with stakeholders in the Plan Area regarding the recommended Secondary Plan policies. Based on the feedback received during the consultations, staff have refined, where appropriate, some of the policies of OPA 499 in an attempt to address concerns raised by stakeholders, while maintaining the long-term vision for the Plan Area as a complete, liveable, connected, responsive, and prosperous mixed-use community.

This report provides supplementary information to the Final Report considered by Scarborough Community Council on July 17, 2020, and recommends that City Council adopt the Secondary Plan and associated amendments in Official Plan Amendment OPA 499. The report identifies the policy refinements that were undertaken by staff and provides clarification on the intent of certain policies that may have been misinterpreted by stakeholders.   

The Secondary Plan is accompanied by Urban Design Guidelines for the Plan Area which have also been revised to reflect the refinements to the Secondary Plan.  As an implementation tool for the Secondary Plan, the Urban Design Guidelines provide more detailed guidance to assist in the development and review of public and private initiatives in the Plan Area.

OPA 499, including the Secondary Plan, has regard to matters of provincial interest under Section 2 of the Planning Act, is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement (2020) ("PPS (2020)"), and conforms to A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2020) ("Growth Plan (2020)"). OPA No. 499, including the Secondary Plan, is consistent with the general intent and purpose of, and conforms to, the City’s Official Plan.